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Grand County upholds first short‑term rental violation at 60 Hughes; owner appeal denied
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners denied an appeal and upheld a first short‑term rental violation for trash at a Winter Park property after a June incident in which a bear accessed an unlocked dumpster; the county classified the notice as a first violation (warning) and commissioners encouraged the owner’s corrective steps.
The Grand County Board of County Commissioners denied an appeal of a short‑term rental violation and upheld a first violation notice for trash at 60 Hughes, a short‑term rental property in Winter Park Ridge. The ruling followed a public hearing during which county staff presented photos of trash scattered outside the property on June 9 and evidence that the dumpster lid had been unsecured when a bear gained access.
Community Development Director Kristen Manguso summarized the enforcement record and the June complaint: “The trash was kind of the big deal again,” she told commissioners, and staff concluded the evidence supported issuing a first violation for garbage stored outside the required bear‑resistant container. Manguso said the property had previously been suspended, was reinstated in early June, and had since constructed a new trash enclosure.
Attorney Kent Whitmer spoke for the property owners, an entity identified as Crown Hughes. Whitmer asked the board not to consider older, resolved violations when deciding the current appeal and described recent corrective steps: a written rental agreement that limits occupants to 16 and requires trash to be bagged, placed in the designated dumpster and locked; signage warning of bears; fines for guests that do not secure the dumpster; and construction of a roughly $15,000 trash enclosure. “The structure was completed 99 percent; they were waiting for the garage door opener,” Whitmer said, explaining the dumpster was placed inside the enclosure but the garage door had not been installed two days before the incident.
Property representatives and their manager told the board they notify guests in advance about locking the dumpster, require a signed rental agreement listing the responsible party, and use local monitoring and cleaners to check the property. County staff noted that the enclosure’s exact placement relative to the county right‑of‑way still must be confirmed; if a structure sits in the road right‑of‑way it could trigger separate requirements.
Commissioners characterized the matter as a clear first violation — the county’s short‑term rental rules require bear‑proof containers for outside garbage storage — and said the county’s enforcement system is designed to warn first and escalate for repeat violations. “This is a violation. It sounds like they’ve made corrective measures,” Commissioner Regner said during deliberations; the board approved the staff recommendation to deny the appeal and record a first violation (a warning). No monetary fine applies to a first short‑term rental violation under county rules.
County staff will continue to verify corrective measures, including the completed enclosure and whether it is sited in the public right‑of‑way. If additional violations occur, short‑term rental licensing rules provide for progressive enforcement up to suspension or revocation.
The board closed the public hearing after the vote.
